3.16.2008

"youngsters who look like me"

Last week, Microsoft Corp. Bill Gates appeared before Congress to urge lawmakers to loosen America's immigration policies in order to maintain the country's global competitiveness. He argued that when talented foreigners can't get the H-1B visa, American companies can't find qualified American researchers and other workers to fill the positions, and the U.S. throws away a strong competitive advantage: Gates lobbies for tech visas.

There's been a clash brewing over the H-1B quota, between those who believe "unscrupulous employers" are depriving Americans of high-skill jobs by recruiting foreign workers, and the tech sector—with Gates as its champion—which believes it needs talented minds from overseas to maintain its competitive edge. Yes, jobs for Americans are important. However, there are those who seem to believe this debate is about something else entirely:
Wariness over bringing in foreign talent reflects a number of concerns. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) expressed unease that "Asian and Indian names" increasingly dominate newspaper lists of top SAT scores in his Marietta district, and asked Gates whether "youngsters who look like me" --the congressman is white -- might find the influx of skilled foreign workers to be a deterrent in pursuing careers in technology and engineering.
Oh, I'm sorry, Rep. Gingrey. Didn't you know? Many of those kids with the "Asian and Indian names" getting those high SAT scores may not look like you, but they're sure as hell American, just like you. But I guess the youngsters who look like you and have names like yours are the only ones who count. That's racist!

angry archive